Partnership

Ever aware of the growing importance of environmental issues, Brittany Ferries participates in many research projects, working closely with a range of scientific organisations.

Conserving the marine environment (in partnership with ORCA)

Our company is supporting ORCA – a charity working to protect whales, dolphins and other marine life. ORCA wildlife officers live and work on board during crossings to Spain in spring and autumn. They inform and entertain passengers with presentations on cetaceans, and the delicate ecosystem these fascinating creatures inhabit.

The effect of climate change on the sea (in partnership with the Sir Alister Hardy Foundation)

For 30 years, we have been assisting the Sir Alister Hardy Foundation For Ocean Science (SAHFOS) by towing measuring devices behind our ships. These monitor vital parameters including plankton levels and sea temperatures. The data we collect is used by marine scientists and policy makers to address marine environmental management issues such as harmful algae blooms, pollution, climate change and fishing.

Monitoring changes in the marine ecosystems of the Channel (in partnership with Marinexus)

Marinexus identifies and monitors changes in the marine ecosystems of the Western Channel, with a particular focus on those related to human activity. Project partners in France are La Station Biologique de Roscoff (Roscoff Biological Station), and Le Centre de Découverte des Algues (the Seaweed Discovery Centre). In the UK we’re working with the Marine Biological Association, the Plymouth Marine Laboratory, the Sir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science, and the National Marine Aquarium. With Brittany Ferries’ support, Marinexus provides marine biology workshops aimed at children aged 8-12 year olds. These take place on the Plymouth-Roscoff route during the summer months, and their aim is to raise their awareness of the marine environment and the need to conserve natural resources. Seminars and shore excursions in Roscoff are also offered.

Working in partnership with French tourism stakeholders: The Western France Destination Campaign

Brittany Ferries has brought together 20 tourism bodies and travel companies in order to mount a 3-year destination campaign (2012-2015), aimed at inspiring the British to rediscover France. Three regional and 14 local tourist boards, 2 ferry operators (LD Lines and P&O Ferries), together with ATOUT France – the French tourist development agency and Brittany Ferries have made a commitment for closer coordination with tourism stakeholders in three regions: Brittany, Normandy and Pays de la Loire. The aim is not only to attract British holidaymakers to Western France, but also to ensure that they receive the best possible welcome once they arrive. This is being achieved in several ways: by establishing a network of greeters, by providing technical support and translation services to tourism professionals, by mounting a communication campaign aimed at the British market, showcasing France as a destination which is ideal not only for short stays with the family or as a couple–but for longer holidays too (Spring 2012).

Brittany Ferries and VisitBritain, the tourist board of Great Britain, are teaming up to launch a campaign which aims to attract more French tourists across the Channel

Inspire French visitors to discover the British region. In the last few years, London has become the unrivalled flagship destination for French visitors to Great Britain. This new partnership with VisitBritain aims to achieve a more balanced pattern of French visits throughout Great Britain. It emphasises the regions, in particular those of Southern England such as Hampshire, Dorset, Devon and Cornwall, all of which are easily accessible from Brittany Ferries’ ports, and which have a lot to offer in terms of landscapes, history, heritage and gastronomy. Above all, the campaign is about getting French visitors to explore Great Britain more deeply. The partnership between Brittany Ferries and VisitBritain was signed on the 5th November 2013, and includes a full communications plan bringing together the Brittany Ferries and VisitBritain brands, and promoting new products and destinations for tourists throughout the south of England.

Working with the educational sector

Each year we sign training agreements with educational establishments and the Region of Brittany. We work with 18 Breton vocational colleges specialising in hospitality and tourism. Since 1993, 4,650 students have taken part. We enrol more than 100 trainees each year, and we pay the vocational educational tax on behalf of the colleges.
2007 saw the creation of a professional qualification for restaurant waiting staff, recognised by all catering professionals. Brittany Ferries’ participation has so far allowed 29 waiters and waitresses to qualify.

Seasonal employment

Each year for over two decades, Brittany Ferries has provided 50 seasonal jobs for students training to work within the hospitality sector.